Rochester Police are investigating three homicides that were all reported on Friday evening.
One of the victims is a 15-year-old boy. That incident was reported on Jefferson Avenue just after 11 p.m. on Friday after two males, the 15-year-old and a 16-year-old, showed up at Strong Hospital, both suffering from gunshot wounds.
Police say the 16-year-old had a non-life threatening wound and was released from the hospital, but the 15-year-old had multiple gunshot wounds to his torso and upper body. He underwent emergency surgery and died several hours later.
Officials say that during the investigation, they learned the two teens along with a third person who was not injured, were driving around in the area of Jefferson Ave. and Flint St. in a stolen vehicle. Police say that based on video they have looked at, the car was traveling recklessly at a high rate of speed. They say at some point, gunshots were fired at the vehicle, hitting the two teens. It’s not been determined yet if the gunshots came from another vehicle or someone on the street.
The other homicides included one that happened just before 6:30 p.m. on Friday near 720 N. Goodman St. Police responded to the corner of N. Goodman and Derringer Place and found the victim, 48-year-old Todd Jones, shot at least once in the torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The preliminary investigation has revealed that Jones was standing at the intersection when someone approached and shot him multiple times.
The third homicide, was at 236 Whitney St. RPD responded for the report of an unresponsive female. They found 38-year-old Constance Henry, who had suffered trauma to her upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police are looking for suspects in all three investigations and anyone with information is asked to call 911 or CrimeStoppers at 585-423-9300.
In a Saturday news conference, RPD also reported that they have made an arrest in connection with a homicide that happened in February. They say that 35-year-old Jermaine Wilkins was walking in the area of Denver and Melville streets when someone got out of a vehicle and fired at least three shots at him from a rifle. Wilkins died after running to a house on Parsells Ave. to try and get help.
Police later determined that someone who had fired gunshots on Scio St. earlier that day was the person accused of killing Wilkins. That suspect is identified as 17-year-old Kyelon Marbury of Rochester. He was taken into custody at a hotel in Henrietta and now faces charges that include 2nd degree murder.
On Saturday, Rochester Mayor Malik Evans and Police Chief David Smith again expressed frustration with some of the recent violence in the city.
Evans talked about recent incidents that include young people driving stolen cars and firing guns.
“And what we’re saying is we’re not going to tolerate it, we’re going to use our emergency order to deal with the streets, particularly Bartlett, Flint, Frost Avenue, all these streets, there have been people who feel as those they have been living as hostages and they’ve been asking us to come out here and deal with that,” said Evans.
Evans and Smith also said there will be a police command vehicle stationed in that neighborhood and the RPD is also working closely with NYS Police, Monroe County Sheriff’s Dept., and other law enforcement agencies to try and target areas of recent violence.
